Key facts
- A member of Germany's far-right AfD party was elected president of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that extremism is entering the country's legislatures.
- The AfD and the far-left BSW party introduced a motion in the Saxony-Anhalt regional parliament to halt military and financial support for Ukraine.
- The BSW party pledged ahead of the vote to support the AfD.
- The AfD and BSW parties share a hostility to mass immigration and a desire to end Russia sanctions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that extremism is forcefully making its way into the country's legislatures after a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was elected president of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. The AfD's success in the eastern state has put Merz's government under pressure and raised questions about the 'firewall' custom among mainstream parties that forbids them from entering a coalition with the AfD or using their help to pass policy measures.